Advertisement

Day six of the search for April Jones

April Jones has been missing since Monday evening Photo: Family / Dyfed Powys Police

Search efforts resumed on Saturday for the missing five-year-old April Jones.

On Friday, police released new pictures of April as Dyfed Powys Police reaffirmed their commitment to finding her.

April is pictured here in her school uniform Credit: Family / Dyfed Powys Police

Police continue to appeal for information on the missing five-year-old Credit: Family / Dyfed Powys Police

At a press conference on Friday, Superintendent Ian John said the search operation now involves 'all blue-light services' including the fire service, ambulance crews, coastguards, the RNLI and RAF mountain rescue teams.

He also said officers have been ‘completely overwhelmed’ by the continued support from the public as they search for April.

‘Countless examples’ of kindness have been shown 'by people far and wide', he said, including the provision of food and drink for officers working in challenging conditions.

Yesterday, Dyfed Powys Police asked hundreds of local volunteers to stand down from the search operation.

Superintendent Ian John said police are 'extremely grateful' for the efforts of the community, which has played a 'vital part' in police searches, but that it would 'no longer be appropriate' for untrained searchers to continue.

The dynamics of the search have now changed, and due to the passage of time and the developments within the investigation it is no longer appropriate for us to expect untrained members of the public to continue the search. So now we require only professional searchers to be involved in the ongoing search operation, which continues in and around the Machynlleth area.

– Superintendent Ian John

Police said local volunteers had played a 'vital part' in the police search for April but they must now let professional searchers continue Credit: Rui Vieira/PA Wire

The headteacher of Ysgol Gynradd Machynlleth, April's school, has made a statement to the media.

Standing in front of a fence covered in pink ribbon, Gwenfair Glyn described the past week as "The hardest in the school's history - an emotional rollercoaster."

Meanwhile Machynlleth residents have spoken of the 'sombre atmosphere' in the town following today's developments.